Community Slowdown?

[MrLemonyFresh]

Hey.


I really like the fact that all the emulators on my pandora run fast or full speed but there seems to be a hold on updates for my favourite apps like GemRB (baldersgate), Residual (grim fandango), Mupen 64, PsxReARMed etc.


For me it's a bit hard to have a perspective since I got my pandora a couple of months ago, but it seems really quiet all of a sudden which is somewhat surprising considering the consistence of quality and past release dates.


Does anyone have any clear insight as to what the status of ports and emulators is?

 

[DaMummy]

what are you on? gemrb was updated exactly one months ago, psxrearmed got an update yesterday, mupen is always being worked on, we just got yabuse and temper few weeks ago, we just got a laserdisc emulator, soulfu is almost ready for a release, a new zelda homebrew is just about ready for pandora release, new minitube is out, StreaK has been porting his ass out, XCOM is out, two of them...a new NES emu is out that focuses on accuracy, which means ALL games run, not all full speed though, got another version of DOSBox, Android on pandora just got some great improvements....stop me any minute now

 

[Bosbeetle]

Development takes time get used to it. (ive made a comment about these things in the english riot thread, it seems that society has lost patience. We live in a world of 'I want it and I want it now' mentality)


Youve waited several years for the pandora you can wait some more for more software, in the mean time try enjoying the stuff that is already there (points at damummies post)

 

[Blue Protoman]

Yeah, this is the peak of things we've received this year. I sure as hell ain't complaining.

 

[moxie]

In all fairness, it has felt like a lull during the early summer - things being a bit slower than before. It is, however, quite normal, and especially since the Pandora production goes up and down. A bunch of pandoras get produced - A bunch of devs get machines - A bunch of "first quick ports" get released. Everybody goes "Whee, loads of software!!!" Then again, the first port is a bit flawed here and there, so the devs dig in and start doing the boring work - optimising, adapting, bugchasing...this takes time. Everybody goes "Whaaa, the community slows down!!!". Then, updates happen. "Whee, a revival". It isn't really - It is just that it is quite difficult to judge activity based on releases.


As noted, we have just gotten Yabause, Temper, a new PcsxReARMed (modulo capitalization). This makes everyine go "Look! Stuff happens!!!". Now, these will be tested and get bug reports, which will be handled by the respective devs. This is a lot of work. It's gonna take time. This won't mean that they're not active, it is just that the activity is working towards a future release.

 

[CAZMIESTER]

All we need now is an optimised mame port .

 

[Jumpman]

Let's not forget DAPHNE(Classic Laserdisc Emulator), that just appeared, and is already running well, and has had a few small updates within 24hrs. For me personally, this would be reason enough to own a Pandora. :lol: I've been requesting this emu since before the Pandora was released, and mcobit finally made it happen.


We always go thru slow momoments, and areas where programs are improved, and or optimized, and that takes longer than just getting it up and running. I personally wish some emu's would be ported over, as the GP2X had a few great ones that we still havn't seen yet, that I know would run fab on the Pandora.


We are also still dealing with slow production, so a lot of killer aps are still in the minds and hands of those who are still waiting on units. So I think support has been great considering how few units actually exist in the wild.


Chris

 

[MrLemonyFresh]

For those leaping on me like mario on a goomba, calm damn please I'm not on anything and I'm not impatient, just curious. I didn't notice updates worth noting and I hadn't realised yet that the software update thread isn't my bible of Pandora updates in general. What's more, I've been getting up at 6 am every day and getting back in time for dinner and bed, so I haven't had much time to surf the net, although what little time I have is on the train with my pandora.


Thanks for the replies though, I appreciate the examples. Is there an easier way I can check for software updates on apps I like?

 

[mcobit]

Thanks for the replies though, I appreciate the examples. Is there an easier way I can check for software updates on apps I like?

Subscribe to the repo rss feed. Or to forunthreads about your favorite software.

 

[Caine]

Keep in mind that GemRB and Residual are just ports of desktop software. The porters can improve some platform specific issues but major feature changes need to come from upstream.

 

[DaMummy]

also, did i mention Wars, and Panorama? did i mention the games from the RioT competition? some gems in there....theres another minimalist web browser in proccess of being pnd'd

 

[skeezix]

Is that Android port usable these days?


Jeffphone

 

[Blue Protoman]

Not yet, but it seems to be making pretty nice progress. I think the Wi-fi is almost done.

 

[MrLemonyFresh]

I'm getting this error on repo,


-------------------------------------------


Warning: session_start() [function.session-start]: Cannot find save handler 'mm' - session startup failed in /srv/www/vhosts/repo.openpandora.org/httpdocs/index.php on line 44


Warning: include() [function.include]: open_basedir restriction in effect. File(/srv/www/vhosts/repo.openpandora.org/httpdocs/includes/global_include.php) is not within the allowed path(s): (/srv/www/vhosts/repo.openpandora.org/httpdocs/temp/) in /srv/www/vhosts/repo.openpandora.org/httpdocs/index.php on line 50


Warning: include(/srv/www/vhosts/repo.openpandora.org/httpdocs/includes/global_include.php) [function.include]: failed to open stream: Operation not permitted in /srv/www/vhosts/repo.openpandora.org/httpdocs/index.php on line 50


Warning: include() [function.include]: Failed opening 'includes/global_include.php' for inclusion (include_path='.:/usr/share/php:/usr/share/pear') in /srv/www/vhosts/repo.openpandora.org/httpdocs/index.php on line 50


Fatal error: Class 'dB' not found in /srv/www/vhosts/repo.openpandora.org/httpdocs/index.php on line 79


--------------------------------------------


I'll try pndstore though, thanks Alerino.

 

[EvilDragon]

Sorry, updated to higher security standards and it looks like it was too secure for the Repo!


Fixed it

 

[moz]

Thanks for that

 

[Disco Devil]

Despite what DaMummy has referenced, i too have felt that software/emulator development has seen something of a hiatus recently, i know Ari/Notaz and all the other prolific devs/porters are still beavering away industriously & most emulators are ongoing wip's (still hoping for a Rearmed GLES graphics plugin sometime soon though)


To the casual observer/potential purchaser it could look as though there isn't very much progress emulator/software wise, i speak from from experience as a friend of mine is interested in purchasing a Pandora, but is reluctant purely based upon the results of the current emulator status he has seen on my unit.. citing the current PSP/Smartphone equivalents as better (which incidentally i disagree with) but the perception still remains, an often mentioned question regarding emulation/games when i show my Pandora to people is why many games/emulators don't display in fullscreen (ie: stretched to the Pandora's full 800 x 480) this i know is not an issue for those craving emulation accuracy, but as far as marketing the Pandora goes.. it IS a problem, this could (and often is in my experience) be perceived as a hardware limitation or other such issue & i believe it needs to be addressed ASAP.. ie: all emulators/homebrew & ported games NEED to have an option to stretch/scale to the Pandora's full 800 x 480 regardless of the original aspect ratio.. and regardless of whether it 'ruins the game' etc.. the end user has to decide this.. NOT! the porter or other forum/community members.. apologies if i am ranting about this, but i feel it is an absolutely fundamental issue which isn't being given any significant attention.. why not..!! am i really the only person that sees this as something that is potentially holding the Pandora back..?

 

[F_Slim]

For me it would be the other way around: If I would see the 4:3 picture in any emulator beeing stretched to 16:9, I would see THAT as a severe limitation of the emulator or even the hardware!


But I noticed that there are always people who do not care, and would rather buy a movie where the top and bottom is cut and not the original 4:3, because "16:9 is better than 4:3", and that argument usually kills "but you loose half of the original image" or "but everything looks squashed", because "16:9 is better than 4:3".


Giving the user the choice is of course the best solution, but I definately do not see keeping the original aspect ratio as a drawback!

 

[fusion_power]

I already would be happy, if the Pandora GPSP GBA Emu would have native and clean 3x scaling, instead of the current uneven scaling (because it was a straight WIZ port or so). ^^

 

[Asmo]

all emulators/homebrew & ported games NEED to have an option to stretch/scale to the Pandora's full 800 x 480 regardless of the original aspect ratio.. and regardless of whether it 'ruins the game' etc.. the end user has to decide this.. NOT! the porter or other forum/community members.. apologies if i am ranting about this, but i feel it is an absolutely fundamental issue which isn't being given any significant attention.. why not..!! am i really the only person that sees this as something that is potentially holding the Pandora back..?

Start a poll and stand well clear


I couldn't stand a 4:3 image stretched to widescreen just to fill all the real estate. All the gaming enthusiast friends I've shown my Pandora to approved of retaining the original aspect in spite of the screen's dimensions. I want it to look the way it originally did. Mario was short & fat, but not THAT short and Fat. As an option though (some emulators already allow it) nobody, I think, opposes that - but some systems are less suited to it than others - Gameboy, for example had an almost square aspect.


Stretching a PS1 driving game to fullscreen makes pedestrians look like melon headed Hobbits and wheels like deflated rugby balls.


On the other hand, many SNES, N64 and Genesis/Megadrive games can stretch quite well thanks to their already vague aspect ratio (particularly depending on whether you had a PAL or NTSC one).